


from the horse's mouth

by godofmorons



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Golden Deer Route Spoilers, Fluff and Humor, Pre-Relationship, Support Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-11
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-12-07 23:25:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20984126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godofmorons/pseuds/godofmorons
Summary: Claude takes great pride in his conversational skills; he wasn’t about to lose to ahorse.





	from the horse's mouth

**Author's Note:**

> thank you [ethereally](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ethereally) for making sure this wasn't totally ooc.

When Claude started thinking about something, oftentimes he couldn’t stop thinking about it until he understood it completely and had it all figured out. Case in point: Marianne von Edmund, Margrave Edmund’s adoptive daughter. Shelving the topic of her mysterious crest and hidden lineage for just a moment, something she had said in their last conversation had been eating away at Claude’s thoughts until it was all he could think about.

Namely: Dorte the horse.

What made a knight’s destrier better company than another human being? And for that matter, Marianne had said that she and Dorte understood each other, but how did _that_ work? Yes, horses had physical tics that could indicate how they were feeling, but that would make communication and mutual understanding a one-way street, right? Unless Marianne was a princess from a fairytale, there had to be a reasonable explanation for all of this. Claude refused to believe otherwise.

Which is exactly why on one brisk autumn day, Claude found himself walking through the stables, reading nameplates on stall doors until he finally found the legend himself.

“Hey Dorte, how’s it going?”

The horse in question spares Claude a cursory look, before quickly losing interest and tucking back into his hay. Claude checks over his shoulder, double-checking that he is truly alone with Dorte, before peering into the stall. At first glance, Dorte... looked exactly like any other horse. Claude frowns, leaning over the stall door to get a better look at him. Grey coat, thick fur, absurdly long ears… Yup, Claude knew a fair bit about horses, and as far as he could tell there was nothing physically outstanding about Dorte the horse.

This called for the next step of his plan: diplomacy.

Claude reaches into his pants pocket, carefully pulling out a bundle of apple slices wrapped up in a handkerchief. He holds one out to Dorte, flat in the palm of his hand. “C’mon Dorte, let’s have a little chat! I just want to get to know you better, that’s all.”

_This_ catches Dorte’s attention; he walks up to the stall door, sticking his head out to gently take the apple out of Claude’s hand. Claude can’t help but grin; he isn't as fanatical about horses as, say, the Golden Deer’s resident horse girl, but he still liked them just fine. “Don’t worry, there’s more where that came from.” He feeds Dorte another apple slice, mulling over what to say. What in the world do you talk to a horse about, anyway? In retrospect, maybe he should have asked Marianne for pointers.

Claude takes great pride in his conversational skills; he wasn’t about to lose to a _horse._

“Nice weather we’re having today, huh?” He grimaces before the words have even left his lips. Wow. The weather? _Really?_ “Ugh, I’m sorry Dorte. I’m usually a lot better at the whole talking thing.”

Dorte bumps his nose against Claude’s hand-- a clear demand for more treats. Claude obliges, giving Dorte another apple slice with a sigh. “I’m going to level with you Dorte, I don’t think you can actually understand a word I’m saying.”

Dorte is munching away on the apple, blinking placidly at Claude, further proving Claude’s point.

Claude runs a hand through his hair, his brow wrinkled with thought. “I’m just... I’m _trying_ to understand. To meet someone halfway, you know? Even if she doesn’t seem all that interested...”

At this, Dorte snorts, shaking his head so hard his ears flap against the side of his head. 

Claude lets out another sigh, feeding Dorte another apple slice. “Yeah okay, I see your point. I was a little pushy… I got carried away, and made her run away again.” He still feels terrible about that. He was going to have to apologize… again. “I see a lot of myself in Marianne, y’know? Blaming ourselves for something beyond our control… I want to help her realize that it doesn’t have to be that way.”

Dorte chews thoughtfully on his apple slice, watching Claude with mild interest. The absurdity of the situation hits Claude like a wyvern, and he chuckles. “Wow, listen to me, I must be really desperate if I’m saying all this to a horse---”

The image of Marianne, alone in the cathedral day after day, makes Claude pause.

_Oh._

Maybe… the reason Marianne felt like she had to talk about herself with horses was because the only other being in this land willing to listen to her was the goddess.

…

Dorte nudges Claude’s elbow, and Claude snaps out of it, holding out an apple slice for Dorte to take. “I… I think I’m going to try to be a better friend to Marianne, Dorte. So she doesn’t feel like she has to talk to animals quite so much.” Claude pats the horse on the neck. “Not that I’m saying you’re bad company, or anything, but Dorte, I’ve gotta be frank, you’re not the best conversation partner.”

A thought occurs to Claude, and he pauses. “...But if you _can_ talk, I won’t tell a soul.” Claude checks over his shoulder, just to make absolutely sure he and Dorte are alone together, before whispering, conspiratively, “Dorte, if you can talk, blink once for yes.”

Dorte continues to eat his apple, staring at Claude with big, unblinking eyes.

Claude nods. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. Besides, it’s not like Marianne can _really_ understand you anyway, right?”

The horse has the audacity to blink at that exact moment, and Claude’s eyes go wide. “Wait, _what,_ are you serious--- Dorte, can Marianne understand you? Do you actually talk to each other? Dorte, please promise me you won’t tell Marianne what I told you today, okay?” Okay, he was going to have to go back and seriously reconsider his ‘Marianne is a fairytale princess’ theory. It didn't seem quite so far-fetched anymore.

Dorte nudges Claude’s hand, begging for more treats, but Claude is down to his last apple slice. He holds it out to Dorte like a peace offering, carefully watching Dorte as the horse takes the apple piece out of Claude’s hand.

“Are we cool, Dorte?”

Dorte spends a few seconds eating the apple in silence, before shaking his head and sneezing.

Claude realizes what he must do. The only thing he really _can_ do.

He must buy this horse’s silence.

He holds out his hands towards Dorte in a placating gesture. “Okay, you hang out here, I’m going to get you some apples and carrots from the dining hall. I’ll be right back, so if Marianne stops by don’t say _anything_ to her, okay, Dorte? Do I have your word as a horse of Seiros?” Dorte blinks at Claude. “Good. Be back in a minute, and remember, don’t tell Marianne _anything._”

Does Claude actually believe Marianne can talk to horses? No.

... But he’s certainly not going to risk it on the off-chance that she can.

-

Five years later, when the continent is at war and it seems like all hell has broken loose, Claude has become the new Duke Riegan and the leader of the fragmented Leicester Alliance. It’s been nothing but endless obstacles and trials, but being reunited with the professor and his classmates has made things significantly easier.

Well, some things.

War meetings have become a near daily necessity in their quest to unite Fódlan, and Marianne was running late to today’s. She doesn’t speak up much during the meetings themselves, but she often brings her thoughts and advice to Claude after the council is over. And while it wasn’t mandatory for her to be there, and he certainly didn’t want to force her if she didn’t want to go, he had a feeling there was something else keeping Marianne from today’s meeting.

Lo and behold, when he turns the corner into the stables, he finds his suspicions are correct.

“Hello, Marianne.”

Marianne turns away from Dorte, startled until she realizes who it is and smiles in greeting. “Oh, hello Claude. What brings you here?”

Claude returns her smile with one of his own. He likes that she smiles more. He just… hasn’t found the right time and place to say as much to her. Yet. “Looking for you! The war council’s about to begin.”

“Oh dear, I must have lost track of time. I’m sorry for the trouble.” She turns to Dorte, patting him on the nose. “I have to go now Dorte, but I promise I’ll come back to visit later, okay?”

Dorte huffs, before turning to Claude, nudging at his hand with his nose and whickering softly. Claude grins. “Hello to you too, Dorte.” He’s glad he stopped by the dining hall on his way to the stables; he takes an apple out of his pocket, polishing it on his shirt before holding it out to the horse with a smile. “Here you go!”

Dorte bites into the apple with a hearty crunch, munching on it as he watches Claude with those big, brown eyes. Claude can’t believe that even after all these years, he’s still trying to buy Dorte’s silence, but it seems to have worked so far. When Dorte finishes eating, he nudges Claude’s hand, looking for more treats. “Sorry buddy, I only brought one.”

Dorte shakes his head, snorting, before disappearing into his stall. Claude rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. “Ah, I must have offended him. Do you mind if I tag along with you when you visit him later? I need to apologize properly.”

Marianne is hiding her mouth behind her hand, but Claude can tell that she’s trying not to laugh. “Yes of course, you’re more than welcome to come with me.” She begins to lead the way to the council room, her gaze curious as she glances up at him. “You seem to get along quite well with Dorte. Are the two of you friends?”

Claude hums as he falls into place at her side. He chances a look down at Marianne, unable to stop himself from smiling. Someday, when the war is over, he wants to tell her the whole story, and make her laugh without trying to hide it. All the more reason to end the war as soon as possible, right?

“You could say that."

**Author's Note:**

> claude and marianne are cute and i love them and that's just that!!!


End file.
